Hello, I’m Natasha, I’m 45. My ethnic background is half Guyanese, half Nigerian. My mom is (and grandmother from Guyana was) Rastafari from the beginning of the motion within the mid 1930’s. My mum is considered one of 10 youngsters that we all know of. My mum was baptised and given her Rasta identify by the previous Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie which makes her correct blessed! My mum and grandmother skilled racism way over I within the 50’s and 60’s as once they came to visit with dreadlocks this was even worse than simply being black. Black with dreadlocks was seen as one thing virtually demonic again then. My mum has began to develop hers again so we’re full circle now and no-one cares after all. Some folks nonetheless have this view of Rastafari folks as, I don’t know, simply pot heads who hate, or are violent Yardies. Not in my expertise, ever. Phrases that spring to thoughts from the Rastafari Empresses & Kings I do know are: Jah, Peace loving, Non secular, Concord, Well being, Energy, Wealth, & Blessings. They’re the least prejudiced folks I do know they’ve loads of prejudice and judgement foisted upon them. I come from a multi-cultural, multi-faith household. I’m simply an angelic being of sunshine. I couldn’t select. My mum married my adoptive dad, who occurred to be white, once I was born. So he was the one Dad I ever knew. Crouch Finish was a reasonably center class inclusive village on the time so I by no means felt any racial separation or judgement and my mum was an enormous a part of the neighborhood. She had many youngsters, taken care of others youngsters, took in waifs and strays. If something once I was actually younger within the 70’s my white Dad acquired a few feedback as to why he had a black youngster/youngsters however he at all times dealt with it with tolerance and humour and honesty.
We rented out spare rooms to college students so I met folks of all persuasions and I beloved it. They used to hold round the home on a regular basis with me and my brothers and sisters (i’m considered one of 7 from my Mum & Dad), so I grew up being open and tolerant of everybody, it doesn’t matter what. I used to spend so much of time with Dad going to the Buddhist society and meditating with monks from about age 3 or 4. That was our Saturday once I was small as much as my mid 20’s, meditating after which going to see Spurs play. Anyway loads of it rubbed off on me, so once I hear tales of racial abuses, they by no means resonated besides on a real empathetic stage, as I used to be taught that racism is the racists drawback. So racism weirdly appeared like an alien idea to me. And that’s the conditioning I had.
My dad being Buddhist and a martial artist, additionally had very sturdy non secular beliefs that should you exit offended about something (together with racial injustice) or fearful or reside in expectation of something unfavorable, in truth, it’s going to discover you. It’s like a name to the universe: that is what I would like, because the universe doesn’t recognise whether or not you need it or not, simply that you simply really feel it and suppose it so after all the Universe brings you what you concern, drawing in experiences of what you’re feeling and suppose. So with that consciousness of not believing in racism at a non secular stage (as spirit is reality, racism isn’t reality). I fortunately have solely ever had one expertise my complete life having been instructed to ‘return to the place you got here from’ which I couldn’t even be bothered to get offended about. I simply laughed at him. And instructed him I used to be from the place I got here from, London. Nevertheless it was additional South and began giving him instructions. It actually made no sense so handled it for the idiotic remark that it was. And he was silenced. Does that imply I don’t rise up for folks? No, not an opportunity. The Stephen Lawrence case disturbed me vastly as we have been the identical age. The behaviour of the institution and media actually opened my eyes then. I believe each era has that second. Governments might not care, however folks do. I hope the BLM motion does impact lasting change. My tackle it’s that so long as they preserve going, don’t surrender. What occurs is that these racist occasions will nonetheless occur, however what’s evolving is an increasing number of folks in opposition to it. I reside in hope. As of late, I haven’t actually modified. I nonetheless meditate, however by myself.
To me love is all that issues. It’s the one factor that’s actual. The image above is me with considered one of my nephews, who’s my soulmate who I spend as a lot time with as doable with. I’ve an enormous multi-racial household, each from bloodlines and in-laws. I believe there’s a whole bunch of us all world wide from England to Nigeria, Guyana, St Lucia, Grenada, New York, San Fran, Cork/Eire, Wales, Somalia, Sweden, Scotland, Georgia (the nation) and France. So I simply say i’m principally associated to everybody. None of us see any color. Solely love. I want BLM had used Love is all that Issues as a substitute. No-one can argue with that. Not as catchy although is it. Shalom. Amen. Jah Bless. Om. Shanti. Salam. Peace. Love, Natasha
